Micah Challenge Australia Blog

 

The Micah Challenge blog is a space for discussion and debate about the issues of global poverty, faith, advocacy and justice and the Millennium Development Goals. This blog aims to provoke thought and challenge you to learn more about the issues discussed. We welcome your comments.

Micah Challenge is a global campaign of Christians speaking out against poverty and injustice. Click here to visit the Micah Challenge website.

  • I'm tired of saving the world! (Some perspective please)

    Posted by John

    17 April, 2012

    It's a new year. I sit down around a table with a wide-eyed and passionate new batch of Micah Challenge interns. After some initial introductions, the first thing we do is to spend some time looking at the story of the prophet Micah. While most people know the famous challenge Micah issued to God’s people – to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8) – not many people actually know much about who Micah was. At the time Micah lived, the Israelites were under threat of invasion from the largest empire of the day – the Assyrians. The external pressure of potential exile was coupled with gross injustice within the nation – idolatry, oppression of the poor and misuse of power. Micah’s message into this context was not a popular one, but this 8th Century BC prophet was a courageous man who spoke God’s words to the people of Israel at a time when they weren’t particularly interested in listening. I make sure to spend some time in the story of Micah at the beginning of every year because it gives... read more

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  • What will Mr. Rudd's resignation mean for the poor?

    Posted by John

    23 February, 2012

    My answer to the question posed in the title of this blog is simple – I don’t know yet. The obvious reaction to Mr. Rudd’s announcement for us here in the Micah Challenge office is to get focused on what this will mean for the campaign. How should we respond? What strategies should we develop to ensure Australia’s commitments to the world's poorest people are maintained and strengthened? I was in that space this morning when I read something from a Pastor friend of mine who said this on Facebook: ‘"@twitter reveals the dysfunctional heart of Aussies in response to the crisis. A better response? Pray with me 4 @JuliaGillard & @KRuddMP" It was a timely reminder for me. The focus for Micah Challenge this week has been our PrayACT campaign. We have been encouraging people to focus on prayer as the primary action we should take as Christian advocates for the poor. No doubt we will also spend time over the coming days, weeks and months thinking about how we can best use our voices on behalf of the poor in this... read more

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  • Too cynical not to pray

    Posted by John

    16 February, 2012

    Are you like me? Do you get so wrapped up in everything on the to-do list that you forget to pray? But is it really forgetfulness? If I'm honest, if I really believed in the power and importance of prayer (and I do!), surely I wouldn't forget to do it. There must be other reasons why prayer slips down the agenda of importance. About 15 years ago, a mega-church pastor from the US, Bill Hybels, released a book entitled Too Busy not to Pray - the implication in the title is obviously that the busyness of life is a reason to spend more time in prayer rather than less. I wonder whether there is need for a second book in the series called 'Too cynical not to pray'? There is a potential drift into cynicism that happens when people of faith get seriously engaged in the issues of our world. I know from experience that it is hard to be persistent in prayer when you are daily confronted with the reality of brokenness in our world. I long for God to intervene in that brokenness, but I don't always seem to get what I long for. Consistent injustice and... read more

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  • 50% of mums saved in Ethiopia

    Posted by John

    2 February, 2012

    [Australian Aid] "will increase the number of trained midwives from 2002 to 8635, and increase the number of deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants from 18 to 62 per cent.” - Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Kevin Rudd MP, 26 January 2012. You could feel the buzz of excitement in the Micah Challenge Australia office last year when the Government’s response to the aid review boldly proclaimed that “saving the lives of poor women and children through greater access to quality maternal and child health services” would be a key development objective. This statement was coupled with positive rumblings from Mr Rudd’s office and from the halls of AusAID about the priority of health spending, which came partly in response to our calls for 20% of all aid dollars to be directed to this vital area. But the buzz of excitement was coupled with frustration. In the process of analysing the aid budget, it became clear that the rhetoric about health being a growing priority didn’t seem to match the reality. Far from seeing... read more

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